After posting losing records in seven of the last eight seasons, the Detroit Tigers have fired general manager Al Avila.
On Wednesday, the team made the news official with a statement via their Twitter account from team Chairman and CEO Christopher Ilitch.
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The press release also added that Ilitch will meet with the media at a press conference to discuss his decision at 5:15 PM ET. Vice President and Assistant GM Sam Menzin will not take over the role as general manager in an interim capacity.
Avila began his tenure with the Tigers in 2002 as an assistant general manager. He was promoted to his most recent job in August of 2015 after previous GM Dave Dombrowski was released from his contract.
While Avila paints a rosy picture, his tenure in the top job was filled with very few successes. As the man behind the product that went on the field, the team only had one winning year (2016) over the last seven and half seasons. While serving as GM, the Tigers’ record was 478-660 and included a 114-loss season in 2019.
The team entered 2022 with hopes that they could surprise in an American League Central division that lacks a powerhouse club. However, the team is currently in last place with a 43-68 record, which is the third worst in MLB.